By Steve Weisman

The third annual Okoboji Blue Water Festival, which is a celebratory clean water event in the Iowa Great Lakes, will culminate with a prestigious musical act on stage. Michael McDonald, a world-renowned American singer, songwriter, record producer and five-time Grammy winner, will headline the Okoboji Blue Water Festival on Saturday, August 11 in Preservation Plaza at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park.

Michael McDonald

The festival itself will be a day-long celebration to raise public awareness of water quality issues in the Iowa Great Lakes and across the state. Activities actually begin at 9 a.m. with the day culminating with the Michael McDonald concert at 9 p.m. According to event chairman Greg Drees, clean water is the theme of the gala. “It’s all about protecting and enhancing the water quality of our lakes, rivers and wetlands,” Drees said. “This will be our third festival, and it promises to be even bigger than the first two.”

Drees continues, “We are so happy to be able to bring this festival to the public free of charge, and it could not be done without the generous donations of our many sponsors. We want to recognize and thank them all for their contributions. The same holds true for all of the volunteers who have worked so diligently to put all of this together.”

What a day

The festival will feature a diversity of activities in the greenspace throughout the day. According to Drees, “Preservation Plaza will be a hub of activity all day with 30 water quality exhibitors lining the sidewalk that goes through the greenspace.” Organizations and businesses will display booths promoting water quality initiatives and projects. Examples include the incorporation of low impact development techniques on properties, bank stabilization and natural shoreline techniques, aquatic invasive species information, wetland and prairie restoration initiatives. In addition an array of fun-filled and clean water-themed interactive activities will be available for kids and families including nature and water quality lessons, sidewalk and mural art and a walkway of water quality.

Under the Big Tent

Beginning at noon, the Big Tent will feature a fishing seminar by Tommy Skarlis, professional angler and Iowa native. Skarlis will offer anglers tips and techniques centered around the theme of clean water. Following the fishing seminar, two distinguished panels of speakers will address clean water issues in the state of Iowa. The first panel is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. They will tackle the topic “Farming and Clean Water: An Oxymoron?” The second panel will convene at 3 p.m. with the theme of “New Challenges and New Initiatives.”

Tommy Skarlis

Following the panels, people can continue to enjoy the many activities and join in conversations with the experts in the clean water display booths.

The entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with The Firm, followed by The Atlanta Rhythm Section at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the evening’s concert headliner Michael McDonald, a special video will be played on the big movie screen sharing the history of the Okoboji Protective Association (OPA). Drees notes, “The Okoboji Blue Water Festival was created by the Okoboji Protective Association (OPA) in 2016 to raise public awareness of water quality issues in the Iowa Great Lakes. The OPA, founded in 1905, is a 501(c)-3 non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of West Lake Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes watershed. I thank the OPA for its leadership and the work that they do for our Iowa Great Lakes.”

As darkness arrives, anticipation will heighten for the appearance of the incomparable Michael McDonald.

With a career that encompasses five Grammys, numerous chart successes and personal and professional accolades, as well as collaborations with some of the world’s most prominent

artists, Michael McDonald remains an enduring force in popular music.

Hailing from St. Louis, McDonald arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, honing his talents as a studio musician before becoming an integral part of Steely Dan. In the mid-’70s, McDonald was invited to join the Doobie Brothers as the band redefined their sound with McDonald serving as singer, keyboardist and songwriter on such Top 40 singles as

“Takin’ It To The Streets,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute” and “What A Fool Believes.”

Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, McDonald’s solo career took off with a string of hits including “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),“ “Sweet Freedom,” “On My Own”

(with Patti LaBelle) and the Grammy-winning James Ingram duet “Yah Mo B There,” plus he co-wrote the Van Halen hit “I’ll Wait.”

McDonald has performed with a who’s-who of critically acclaimed artists across a number of genres, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Vince Gill and Grizzly Bear.

McDonald’s forthcoming album, Wide Open (out September 15 via BMG), finds him collaborating with a number of special guests including Warren Haynes, Robben Ford, Marcus

Miller and Branford Marsalis. McDonald’s first album of original material in 17 years, Wide

Open is comprised largely of material written over a number of years in-between projects and recorded in McDonald’s Nashville studio with drummer Shannon Forrest (Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Toto) and an extensive cast of Nashville session musicians. The record follows a trio of albums of R&B and soul covers McDonald recorded for the fabled Motown label, the most recent being 2008’s Soul Speak.

Other recent collaborations include his work on the critically acclaimed track “Show You The Way” with multi-genre bassist, singer and producer Thundercat and Kenny Loggins; McDonald performed the song with Thundercat during a surprise guest appearance at Coachella in April. This past spring, McDonald was joined by Solange Knowles, Allen Stone, Lawrence and members of Snarky Puppy and Vulfpeck at the Okeechobee Music Fest.

McDonald continues to tour extensively as a solo artist, with a lengthy run of summer and fall tour dates planned with Loggins and Boz Scaggs.